Chapter 185

Xie Jin didn't expect Wei Ming's drawing level to be quite good. When he was dissatisfied with the storyboard for the last shot, he actually started working on it himself and drew a set for him.

It actually looked quite decent, and the drawing skill was quite solid!

Wei Ming: That's right, after all, I'm a third-level artist.

And it felt like it had a great sense of cinematography, and the aesthetics were very high-end. That sunset glow, the mother carrying her son on her back while looking at the father—the feeling of love and happiness suddenly came through!

"Ma Xiaowei, are you interested in becoming a director!" Xie Jin's way of addressing him became much more intimate.

Wei Ming laughed: "I'm interested in everything interesting, and movies naturally include that."

Xie Jin smiled bitterly: "You, if you put your whole heart into literature, your future achievements will definitely be limitless. Maybe there will be a spot for you after Lu, Guo, Mao, Ba, Lao, and Cao, but I have a hunch that you definitely won't be content with just being a writer."

Wei Ming: Does he feel like he's implying I'm not focused?

"If I can't be an expert, being a generalist is also not bad."

Xie Jin: "Ma Xiaowei, you're being modest. At the very least, you're a polymath."

Wei Ming yawned: "Then Xie Dao, I'll go rest first. I'll continue to watch you film tomorrow, and I'll learn more from you then."

He was quite curious about the filming sets of the 80s.

In his past life, he had also worked in the film and television industry for more than twenty years. Although he was mainly a screenwriter and producer, he once participated in a movie project. Because the director was too incompetent, he couldn't stand it and took over the operation himself, and the box office actually made a profit.

But being a director is too tiring, often staying up all night after night.

If you are just a nominal director who only shouts "Cut" and "Action," of course it's very easy. A slacker director can be done by anyone who is a fool.

But if you don't have capable assistant directors and cinematographers around you, and you want to film the movie in your own style without ruining your reputation, that's actually quite difficult.

Wei Ming and Uncle Ping'an opened a room at the guesthouse, but he couldn't go back to that room for the time being. His uncle said that after not seeing each other for many days, he had a lot to talk about with Aunt Lu Xiaoyan.

Wei Ming wasn't a virgin anymore; he understood.

So, with nowhere to go, he could only go to join Brother Xizi with Lele.

When Gong Xue was still wondering where Wei Ming had gone, the door was knocked on again. Xizi eagerly went to open the door, and then he saw his dear Brother Xiao Ming.

Gong Xue, who had already anticipated this, had very good facial expression management, revealing a hint of just-right surprise and questioning.

"Are you here to find Lele and Xizi?" she asked.

"That's not exactly it," Wei Ming said, "I have nowhere to go now, and I want to find a pure land that can take me in."

Gong Xue, who had already guessed the reason, laughed: "This place can take you in, but I'm afraid it's not very quiet."

Xizi was never a quiet person to begin with, and now that his younger sister was here, he was even more boisterous. He had just been trying hard to show his acting skills to his sister.

Wei Ming closed the door casually: "It's fine, being able to sit for a while is also good. Can one sit here?"

Xizi said: "That's Mother Xue's bed."

It was Mother Xue's bed he was sitting on, and there were no stools here anyway.

Gong Xue embarrassedly lifted her quilt: "You can sit."

She had originally wanted to take a nap just now; it definitely wasn't that she hadn't folded the quilt in the morning.

Wei Ming didn't think about that; he was just thinking, if he borrowed this bed to sleep for a while, would Sister Xue agree?

After all, they hadn't seen each other for several months, and during this time they could only rely on phone calls and letters to maintain a sense of familiarity. Wei Ming first made small talk with Sister Xue about filming, attempting to re-establish a sense of familiarity.

Wei Ming: "Is it very hard to film in the Northwest?"

Xizi: "Filming is so much fun, it's not hard at all!"

Wei Ming: Who asked you!

Wei Ming asked again: "I just chatted with Xie Dao, and he said you performed very well and are a talent worth molding."

Xizi: "Then how did the director praise me?"

Wei Ming said against his will: "He said you have the bearing of a Best Actor and your future is limitless."

Xizi: "What is a Best Actor?"

Wei Ming: "In Hong Kong and Taiwan, people who act well are called Best Actors."

"Then what is Hong Kong and Taiwan?"

Wei Ming: "Are you 'One Hundred Thousand Whys'?"

"Brother Ming, I know you are Wei Shenme 【Why】, 'One Hundred Thousand Wei Shenme' means one hundred thousand of you, right!"

Wei Ming: Ah ah ah!!!

This younger brother cannot be kept for long!

Wei Ming's anger rose from his heart and evil intentions grew from his courage, so he took a comic book out of his bag.

"Xizi, take it and read it. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask Lele; she knows everything."

What Wei Ming took out was the *Xiao Little Lingtong Roams the World* comic book, published by Liaoning Fine Arts Publishing House. The original author was Ye Ye Yonglie, who had participated in the compilation of *One Hundred Thousand Whys*. This novel is also the origin of the name of a certain communication device in the future.

The story tells of the various things the little reporter Xiao Little Lingtong saw and felt while roaming the future city. It is a science fiction work, which is very much to Xizi's taste.

After he got the comic book, he finally quieted down and didn't interrupt casually anymore.

Gong Xue also took the opportunity to ask about the situation of Wei Ming's comic book.

"When will I be able to see the finished product?"

"A Long and the others are still working hard on drawing it. The first time, it must be refined and perfected." As he spoke, Wei Ming also changed from sitting to leaning on the bed.

Gong Xue saw exhaustion in his expression: "Are you very tired after sitting on the train for so long?"

"Yeah, yeah!" I was just waiting for those words from you.

"Then do you want to lie down for a while?" Wei Ming didn't even stand on ceremony and asked directly: "Can I take off my coat?"

Gong Xue: "Do you need me to help you take it off?"

This big sister is too virtuous, but Wei Ming didn't push his luck. He took off his coat and shoes himself, lay on her bed, and covered his stomach with the quilt.

Gong Xue took the coat and hung it up.

Although Sister Xue hadn't just come out from under the covers, he could still feel the unique fragrance of a girl from this quilt. It would be even better if there were a little more body heat.

Wei Ming lay down, and Gong Xue ran to read the comic book with Xizi and Lele, glancing at Wei Ming from time to time.

At first, he slept very honestly, but after he turned over, he tucked the quilt between his legs.

Gong Xue's heart trembled slightly, as if it wasn't the quilt he was tucking, but herself.

Just as she was thinking about it, Xizi said he was hungry. Gong Xue said: "Lele is hungry too, right? Let's go eat."

Then she walked to the bedside and leaned over to look at Wei Ming: "Ma Xiaowei, do you want to have dinner?"

!

Wei Ming opened his eyes and asked groggily: "What time is it?"

"It's eight o'clock."

Wei Ming was shocked: "Have I slept for so long?!"

He felt he had only taken a short nap.

Gong Xue laughed: "The sun has just set, and it's not even dark yet."

"Ah?"

Wei Ming got up and glanced out the window. Sure enough, the sun was setting, and the sky was all red. He almost forgot this was the West, which is in a different time zone from Yan Jing.

Wei Ming asked: "Are there any good restaurants near the guesthouse?"

"Restaurants? We all eat at the guesthouse canteen."

"Is the food in the canteen good?"

"It's not bad to be able to eat your fill; don't be too picky." Gong Xue reached out her hand to pull up the brat who was lingering on her bed.

A sensible child should take the initiative to disappear at this time, but Xizi and Lele were both watching this scene with great interest.

Wei Ming was pulled up by Sister Xue, who was much shorter and thinner than him. If it weren't for the two little lightbulbs, Sister Xue would probably have been pulled into the quilt by Wei Ming.

However, Wei Ming at least held her little hand. This little hand should have been softer and more delicate, but during this period of experiencing life, she had to work every day, so Wei Ming could even feel the calluses on her palms.

"Sister Xue, did you hide something in your quilt? I was poked by something."

Gong Xue's heart skipped a beat. She didn't carelessly wrap her underwear in the quilt, did she?

She didn't dare to gamble, so she asked Wei Ming to come out, and she would feel for it herself.

When Gong Xue's hand reached into the quilt, she suddenly touched something unfamiliar.

After taking it out, there was an exquisitely shaped, high-end-looking glass bottle in her hand. It seemed to be cosmetics? The bottle was covered in English, and her level of understanding was almost zero.

"This is?"

Wei Ming explained: "This is a facial cleanser I asked a Hong Kong friend to buy. It's an American brand called Maybelline."

"Maybelline?" Gong Xue murmured. The name sounded very nice, and it felt like you would be beautiful after using it, but what did Wei Ming mean by this?

Wei Ming: "It's a gift for you. Didn't you say in your letter that the wind and sand in the Northwest are heavy, and your skin is not good because of it? The soul of this movie is the hero, and you don't have many scenes, but the sacrifice is so great. As the original author, I definitely have to show my appreciation."

Gong Xue felt so much regret. Why did she tell him those things!

She didn't expect that a casual remark would be exchanged for such a precious gift. She had seen beauty products in the Overseas Chinese Store, and every single one of them was an astronomical price to her.

Gong Xue was being moved when Xizi suddenly said: "Brother, my sacrifice is also very great. I haven't eaten meat for a long time!"

Wei Ming laughed: "So, is there really no restaurant around the guesthouse?"

Gong Xue: "There is one, but the crew doesn't reimburse it, and the price is a bit high, and you also need food coupons."

Very expensive means it has features and strengths that match the price. Wei Ming immediately said: "Then let's eat there today. I have all the coupons; let's go!"

Gong Xue hesitated for a moment, but finally pressed the Maybelline under her pillow.

They went out and walked for ten minutes, finding the restaurant Gong Xue mentioned.

The signature dish of this state-run restaurant was beef noodles, the kind with really big chunks of beef, and there were also dishes like braised beef and lamb offal.

Wei Ming took the three women and children to have a beautiful and full meal, but Sister Xue's appetite was really small—a small bowl of noodles, and she even had to pick out a chopstick's worth for Wei Ming in advance.

No wonder she is so slim, Wei Ming glanced at Sister Xue's chest.

After eating, they returned to the guesthouse and happened to see Uncle Ping'an and his wife, who were just about to go to the canteen.

Learning that her children had eaten well, Aunt Lu Xiaoyan felt relieved; she had just been busy satisfying her own cravings.

Uncle Ping'an also let Wei Ming go back to their room to rest; they had already cleaned it up.

Tonight's arrangement was for Xizi to sleep with his father and brother, and Lele to sleep with her mother. Wei Ming took Xizi back to the room, but he wasn't sleepy at all.

Gong Xue couldn't sleep either, touching the glass bottle under her pillow, thinking about how to use this thing, and how Wei Ming could have friends in Hong Kong.

Was this friend a man or a woman?

(Yesterday's guaranteed 2 chapters, asking for monthly tickets! Charge!)

(End of chapter)